Cartesian Logic

This edition shows Essay on a New Logic to be eminently deserving of scholarly attention. In his Preface, Timothy Franz argues convincingly that the outlook of the New Logic is distinctive, with respect to both Maimon's own corpus and this period of German philosophy. For scholars of Kant's philosophy, the work holds special interest. Maimon's assertion of the dependence of general logic on transcendental logic, and his view that logical thinking presupposes an object given from "outside of thinking," pose a fascinating contrast with Kant's conceptions of general and transcendental logic. Franz's introduction and commentary highlight the importance of Maimon's account of transcendental logic, while also casting light on the subtleties of Maimon's treatment of general logic and its intended application in the sciences.

• Abbreviations; Introduction; Descartes and traditional syllogistic: The scope of logic; The syllogism as a Petitio Principii; The heuristic role of syllogism; Descartes's conception of inference: Conceptions of logic before Descartes; Conceptions of cognitive grasp before Descartes; The natural light of reason; Eternal truths: A human model for cognition; Discovery and proof: Analysis and discovery; Synthesis and proof; Appendix: The terms `a priori' and `a posteriori' in the Reply to the second set of objections to the meditations; Scientific reasoning: The method of discovery; The epistemic value of deduction; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index